


between the lines

by trixstar



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Books, F/M, Fluff, Love Confessions, Pre-Timeskip | Academy Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Warm and Fuzzy Feelings, just soft dorks being soft dorks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:47:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26295109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trixstar/pseuds/trixstar
Summary: Ashe and Ingrid have a neat little reading system.Written for the Ultra Rarepair Big Bang 2020
Relationships: Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert/Ingrid Brandl Galatea
Comments: 20
Kudos: 56
Collections: 2020 Ultra Rarepair Big Bang





	between the lines

**Author's Note:**

> ashegrid was honestly my first ingrid ship and i was big sad to see there were barely any fics for them so i made my own food <3 hope y'all enjoy!

_And with one last roar, the dragon is slain. Collapsing in on itself as if it were made of paper. The earth shakes upon impact, everything in the surrounding area sufficiently disturbed. The sound of birds' wings fill the air, shouts of triumph echo around him, and what sounds like the king bellows a hearty laugh._

_All this yet Alexander cannot bring himself to care._

_Because his archnemesis finally lays in front of him, dead to humanity. So small now and utterly harmless. Finally. Like the prophecy had foreseen._

_With this, he has finally earned himself the right to be called the king's knight._

_There is no greater feeling in the world._

* * *

Ashe closes the book with a smile.

That had been a particularly riveting tale, he thinks to himself as he stretches. The bustle of the rest of the Blue Lions classroom drowns out the sound of his joints popping pleasantly.

He hadn’t expected the ending at all, despite what were now glaringly obvious signs. Masterfully done, he continues to praise the author in his head. He likely wouldn't get any of that imagery out soon.

When he's finally finished marvelling at the book's contents, he soothes his hand over the cover just as he did when he first purchased it, careful to handle the paperback with delicate hands.

 _Alexander's Quest_ , it read in shiny gold lettering. That and the exquisite artwork that depicted a man, Alexander, standing at the top of a hill of bones in bloodied armor is what had initially drawn Ashe as to the book. Never one for blood and guts, but something about it had lured Ashe to the literature. The summary only serving to spur him into buying it further despite the somewhat hefty price.

He guessed a few cuts on bow maintenance seemed like a reasonable exchange for this and he was right.

Ashe takes in the book in all its glory one last time before gathering his things and finally rising from his chair.

He waves at Mercedes and Annette as he moves to exit the room. Nods at Dimitri, Felix, and the professor as he passes them near the chalkboard and grins at Dedue who is a ways away from the trio. Ashe cranes his neck around for who he's looking for.

 _Ah_ , he thinks as he finally spots Ingrid at the back of the room, hands on her hips as she yelled at Sylvain. This isn't new, Ashe is amused to note. He laughs a little into his hand when the man apparently says something wrong, as evidenced by Ingrid slapping the back of his head.

She's busy, it seems.

He lets his gaze linger on her before making for the door, staring down at the book as he goes. He gives it with one last appreciative look.

Then plops it onto Ingrid's desk.

Ashe hums happily as he exits the room, wondering what she'll have for him now that it's her turn.

* * *

_"So that's how it works?" Princess Elle asked as she cocked her head to the side._

_Emmet sighed as he nodded for what seemed like the umpteenth time._

_"Yes, princess. Those are the instructions on the bottle," he says as he finally caps said bottle close, "now I really must go. Please remember that I am a knight first before I am your friend."_

_Elle pouts. “You’re no fun.”_

_“I’m not supposed to be.”_

* * *

Ashe thinks it's a rather neat system.

He reads a book and once he finishes, he pawns it off for Ingrid to read. Ingrid finishes a book of her own and vice versa. Give or take a few days and they'd discuss it at some point. Conversations always lasting hours and often warranting paper and snacks of some sort.

Simple, but thoughtful. He liked that about the process.

The system also ensured that they'd always have something to talk about and he's all for it. Talking with Ingrid was always pleasant, but talking with Ingrid about books? Even better. Her taste is superb and she always opened new avenues of discussion. She’s a lot more observant than Ashe had initially pegged her which says something because he’d already thought her to be somewhat eagle-eyed.

He usually took around three days to burn through a book. Too fast, he had feared, yet, luckily, Ingrid always had something ready for him when he was done. He'd found that she took just as long as he did when it came to reading, so, really, it worked out _so well_. Friends, same taste, took the same time, good rapport, everything about it was ideal.

So now here they are, five books recommended by each later and his anticipation is still as high as it was the first time around. ...Well, maybe a little more since the last book Ingrid had handed to him had been particularly enjoyable. He very much liked the knight Emmet and Princess Elle's dynamic. Even if it ended in heartbreak. (As do most tales of chivalry.)

Yes.

Ashe likes their neat little system. A lot more than he'd think.

* * *

_Queen Heather polishes the sword on most days._

_She likes to maintain its sheen and sharpness, a reminder of her roots and the days on the frontlines. Stay humble, her mother had told her as a child and Heather believed that, despite everything that’s happened, she had._

_Another reason she maintains the weapon is so that it is in its most pristine condition for when_ he _returns._

_The Queen curses under her breath._

_Yes, one of her lowly knights. One that has recently awakened a plethora of complicated feelings within her. Feelings Heather did not like to acknowledge. Feelings Heather wished would simply vanish._

_She sighs, regretful and long-suffering as she keeps polishing._

* * *

"Ashe!"

He perks up at the sound of her voice.

Ingrid looks bashful as she takes the seat across from him, realizing the librarian had stared when she'd called out too. Cute, he thinks for a split second before banishing the thought with a pinkness on his cheeks. What a warm day it was today!

He shuts _The Beast Within Jeremy_ and gives her his full attention. He always did that when it came to her more than anyone. Ingrid just always had such good things to say. (Though he's sure some people wouldn't agree with him.)

"Ingrid, hi."

She slides _Alexander's Quest_ to him, a grin and an apologetic look on her face.

"Sorry it took me so long to finish. I found myself rereading several passages because of how much I enjoyed them," she says sheepishly.

Ashe shakes his head. It's perfectly valid reason. "There's really no need for apologies. I'm glad you enjoyed it so much," he says, a tad giddy for the discussion he knows they're about to have.

Ingrid smiles. "I did. Now, thoughts?"

Four hours later and Ashe is all tuckered out from the conversation, extremely pleased, but sure his brain would need a good rest later. Ingrid had managed to analyze the book significantly more than he had. Like he’d suspected she would. He probably even needed to reread it soon at this rate.

Subtle character quirks, historical implications, Ingrid noticed the little things more than Ashe did. He'd never quite grown out of his pattern as child, purely focused on the overarching themes and the _knightly_ values. Ingrid praised him for that, but he’d always been embarrassed about it.

She stretches across him, looking satisfied herself. Ashe is thankful she always seems to enjoy his company.

"That lasted longer than I thought," Ingrid admits honestly.

He laughs in response. Quietly, of course. The librarian would have their heads. "That's probably because you managed to catch on to a lot more of the subtext than I did."

She has the gall to look embarrassed at the praise. "I couldn't quite help myself with this one. It just had so much lore."

He chuckles. "It's fine, I was just as fascinated," he says, scratching at his head, "yet clearly less observant."

Ingrid shakes her head. "Stop that. You just chose to focus on another avenue of the story," she insists.

Ashe shakes his head in protest.

They do this a lot, he's noticed. The back and forth. Never letting the other put themselves down too much and venerating each other. It's nice, sure, but it gets a little repetitive when it reaches a certain point and, really, it never gets them anywhere. He and Ingrid have laughed about it more than a few times. 

The sound of the librarian tutting breaks through their conversation.

They turn to her (Ashe had tried asking for her name once, but the woman had simply walked away from him) in curiosity. She points at the clock on the wall before walking away with heavy steps. ( _Ironic_.)

Fifteen minutes before curfew.

Oh. "I think we're being kicked out." He offers her a half-hearted shrug. A shame.

"I can see that," Ingrid responds, before digging through her bag. He waits. Ingrid produces another book within a matter of seconds. "Here," she says as she hands it over to him, "as per our arrangement." She grins endearingly.

He blinks before getting his head in gear. "Already? I expected to wait a little longer."

"My father sent some of my books in his last care package and I thought of you as I came across it."

He feels his cheeks redden slightly at the comment. _The Sword of Heather_ had a very pristine feel about it along with an artful cover. To think Ingrid had thought of him when she saw this.

"That's very nice of you, Ingrid. Thank you," he says, grateful.

Their fingers touch as he reaches across the table to take the book and Ashe doesn't know why he's suddenly so focused on where their skin had come into contact with each other's. (It felt warm. It felt _nice_.)

She gets up. "It's no problem. I'll be going ahead then."

"Ah, yes, see you tomorrow," he manages lamely.

Ingrid waves at him as she leaves and, when she's no longer in sight, Ashe stares down at his hands and wonders what came over him.

* * *

_As she descends from the tower, Lydia stares deep into the eyes of the knight that had bested every single one of her monsters. The stupid, courageous man._

_Lydia feels hatred in her heart for him, yet the damned thing still dared to beat for him anyway._

* * *

He'd be lying if he said he hadn't altered his book taste just a _tad_ bit for her.

He'd already been somewhat confident after their first few conversations, but Ashe still found himself trying to learn more about her to better gauge out what would align with her _exact_ tastes.

A little perfectionist of him, sure. Obsessive, one would even say, but Ashe has always been a been a book lover and part of that's spurred him in to ensuring anyone willing enough to listen him wax poetic about literature was able to find the _perfect_ books for them.

Never let it be said that Ashe slacked off.

Getting to know Ingrid outside of class and the library's been nice and he _does_ manage to find out more about her through this.

She loved eating, looking after the horses in the stables. She apparently also admired art. Mostly the paintings depicting valorous knights and tales of chivalry, sure, but it counted. She liked to watch the birds in the sky. She envied their freedom, she's said to him once. She liked to help out in the kitchens when she could, enjoyed long horseback rides.

She had a nice laugh. And a brilliant smile. She rarely blushed in his presence but when she did, Ashe found it adorable-

Well. 

Like he's said before, getting to know Ingrid has been nice. He's proud to say they're good friends now actually.

From his bookshelf, he picks out _Lydia's Demons_. If he forgets about the minor romance plot the book adapts beneath the sheen of chivalry then no one needs to know.

* * *

_Cosette plunges the sword into her body, uncaring of anything now. Her liege has died. Her chest feels cold._

_Her heart is broken._

* * *

"Annette, hi."

Annette visibly startles at the sound of his voice and Ashe instantly feels bad. He'd only meant to help her reach the book she'd been grasping for. She's quick to recover when she sees that it's just him though. She comes to the library just as much as he and Ingrid did so encountering each other wasn't uncommon.

"Oh, hey Ashe!" The girl greets him, cheery as always.

"Need any help?" He looks at her and the book.

Annette grins sheepishly. "If you don't mind."

Ashe nods and the girl backs away as he nears the shelf, reaching up to take hold of the book. He's not so tall himself so he uses his tiptoes and he feels his cheeks redden at the sound of Annette's giggle when she notices. "Here," he finally says as he manages to snag it and place it in her awaiting palms. _The Valor of Cosette_. He's never heard of this one.

"Thanks!"

"I haven't read that one yet."

Annette's eyes light up. "Oh, this one is really good. I'm just rereading it because I thought about it recently." She marvels at the cover before meeting his eyes once more. "I feel like you'll like it actually! It's about a very devout knight that- ah, I don't want to spoil!"

Ashe chuckles. "I'll trust your recommendation then."

"Mhm, I'll give it to you when I'm done then you can give it to Ingrid! I'm sure she'll-"

Ashe stills. "Wait, how did you know?"

His curiosity is piqued. And... maybe he's a little embarrassed too. How did Annette know about his and Ingrid's... arrangement? (It sounded so misleading when he put it that way, but, really, what else can Ashe call it?)

Annette cocks her head innocently. "Were you trying to hide it?"

He shrugs. "Well, no. I just didn't think it was apparent to anyone else. Is it so obvious?"

"Oh no, don't worry about it! I think we're all just really observant," Annette reassures him, but her words only serve to alarm Ashe further.

"Um, who else has noticed, if you don't mind me asking?" He really hopes she doesn't mind. 

"Oh, uh," Annette fidgets, "just me, Mercie, His Highness, Dedue, Felix, and Sylvain... and perhaps the professor."

Ashe blinks.

"So, everyone?"

She shrugs. "Maybe?"

"Oh." Ashe doesn't know why he's so flustered by this knowledge.

"Don't worry about it though! Everyone thinks it's cute."

The mental image of Felix swooning over Ashe and Ingrid trading books doesn't feel quite right to him. 

"Er, I see." He knows his cheeks are red. He just doesn't understand _why_.

When he and Annette part after promises of having their own little book exchange, Ashe is left pondering on some things.

* * *

_Aaron's had quite enough of this._

_"I have a duty to the king," he says voice slicing through the girls' argument, "I cannot afford to waste any more time here."_

_"But Aaron!" Regina's voice is as shrill as a banshee's. "It's dangerous! You could get killed!"_

_"It is my duty."_

_"To die?" Cady spits out vehemently._

_Aaron shakes his head. "To serve."_

* * *

" _Lydia's Demons_ was a good read."

"Is now really the perfect time for this conversation?"

Ingrid grins at him as one hand moves to wipe the sweat off her brow while the other clutched her lance tightly. "I don't see why not."

Ashe laughs before letting an arrow fly from his bow. It hits the middle of the target easily and Ingrid claps. He gestures to the battered dummy in front of her and gives her her own round of applause.

Training together was infrequent, but it had happened. In the rare moments Ingrid wasn't sparring with the other lance users and Ashe wasn't lingering in the greenery outside the monastery for challenging target practice, they came together naturally, as if planned.

"I actually wasn't sure if you'd enjoy it as much," he says when he takes a seat on a nearby bench. Their belongings are on it as well, so he takes care to sit properly.

Ingrid raises an amused eyebrow. "Because of the romance?"

Ashe gives her a sheepish look. He curses himself for blushing so easily. "Because of the romance."

"It was unexpected, but I liked it all the same," she reassures him before taking another stab at the dummy, "besides, it was only mild anyway. A character device, if anything. It didn't strike me as too important."

Unexpectedly, he deflates at this. 

"Oh, I see." 

He tucks away _Venomous Princesses_ in his bag, thinking about how Ingrid probably wouldn't like a story almost completely driven by love. He'd been a fool to think so.

* * *

_"I'm in love with you, you know," Veronica admits quietly, "but I understand. Duty before everything, correct?" Her voice takes a bitter edge. "I hope you find happiness in bloodshed and violence."_

_Jason does not answer. There is nothing else to say._

_The words "I love you" mean nothing now._

* * *

In all honesty, Ashe never expects himself to take a liking to the genre of romance.

He'd tolerated it, yes, because apparently tales of chivalry always had to have something else thrown in. For a wider audience, of course. Sometimes there is mystery, other times horror, supernatural beings and the like.

Always romance.  
  
He supposes this is why he's become somewhat desensitized to it. As a child, he'd definitely blushed and fantasized about some things. He was young and impressionable, it really couldn't be helped. But as he become more accustomed to it and time passed, you'd be lucky to even catch a glimpse of him getting flustered reading anything containing themes remotely related to love. And, eventually, tolerance became engrossment.

So his sudden interest in tales with (side) romance now of all times doesn't bother him.

It's just the _why_.

He's not doing it on purpose, he swears. Sure, he'd liked the stories now, but that didn't mean he'd actively seek them out. 

It must be because of Ingrid then, he realizes with a start.

But that didn't make sense either since he's learned Ingrid paid those types of things little to no attention. (The knowledge still bothers him. Another _why_ he doesn't know the answer to. Ingrid was free to like whatever she wanted.)

Yet Ashe keeps suggesting them anyway.

Not knowing why does not bode well with him. 

He picks out _Veronica's Knight_ to reread. Not to give to Ingrid. She wouldn't like it.

* * *

_King Earl falls to his knees before him. He's sorry he had to be the one to tell his majesty of the tragedy._

_"Queen Jenna has been killed."_

_All simple words, but they dredge up so many emotions from everyone in the throne room. Jim himself feels sick to his stomach, but nothing could ever compare to what he was seeing._

_The king's crazed, tear-streak eyes, heartbreak written all over them._

_Less than a minute later, hysterical wails fills the room and it is quite possibly the most haunting thing Jim has ever heard in all his years of knighthood._

* * *

"Did you know that everyone was aware of our book system?"

Ashe gives Ingrid a sheepish look. "Annette might have mentioned something once."

Ingrid looks contemplative as she looks up. At least, that's what Ashe assumes since there's nothing really scenic about looking at the dining hall ceiling. He adjusts his bag on the seat next to him, feeling how heavy it is now.

In addition to his usual school supplies, he may or may not be carrying all the books he's not brave enough to give her. Two originally, but then he'd gotten his hands on _In The Service of Jim_ and that made three.

"I mean, I told Sylvain," Ingrid says after chewing a bit of meat, "since he asked. His highness too, but no one else. Do you think we were obvious?"

He's glad she's wondered about that too. "I think our class is just very observant." A little burst of pride blossoms within him. Their class _is_ incredible.

Ingrid grins in agreement "You make a good point."

"Annette raised it actually," he offers, remembering the ginger-haired girl's words.

Ingrid stops slicing her food. "... She made a good point then."

The momentary pause piques Ashe's interest, but he doesn't pursue it. He doesn't feel like he's in the place to. (He never does honestly.)

"I ran into her at the library and she told me about it."

"I see." Ingrid slices her meat daintily and this definitely commands his attention now. Ingrid didn't _slice_ meat, she practically _slashed_ it. Always in such a hurry to consume, Ashe found it weirdly charming.

"Are you alright, Ingrid?"

An indecipherable expression crosses her face then and Ashe would ask about it, but it is gone in an instant. 

"Oh, I'm fine, it's no worries. This piece is just a bit harder to slice. Go on," she encourages.

There's a slight strain in her smile, but a part of him is hesitant to push. He didn't know if she considered them close enough to be able to do that.

Ashe chooses to push the conversation forward. "Annette actually recommended me a book I'd never heard of."

Ingrid perks up at this. Thankfully. "Oh?"

"Have you heard of _The Valor of Cosette_?"

The conversation barrels on like always and, soon enough, Ashe forgets why he was ever worried. He's too distracted by the glint in Ingrid's eyes as she speaks and how close their hands are on the table.

* * *

Ashe doesn't get a chance to read any books next week. 

It sounds like an impossibility (he's shocked too), but life-threatening injuries could do that to you.

Rhea had dispatched the Blue Lions to take care of a group of bandits threatening a nearby town. It should've been a relatively simple job. In fact, based on the information they'd been given, the professor had nearly considered bringing in just Dimitri, Dedue, Mercedes, and Ashe with her to take care of the threat, but that obviously didn't sit well with the other half of the Lions so off they went.

Things were going well. Felix and Ingrid flanking bandits on the right, Sylvain and Dedue on the left, Dimitri and Byleth charging forward. The norm. Ashe always stayed at the rear with Annette and Mercedes. The dutiful archer in charge of taking out threats from afar and protecting the mages.

Usually, Ashe didn't sustain injuries. He was in the rear after all, how could he? And being next to healer like Mercedes? You'd expect him to come out every battle unscathed.

Except every battle didn't exactly involve _invisible swordsmen_.

Yes, they'd learn of their existence the hard way, when Ashe had suddenly felt a searing pain through his stomach and the sound of Annette and Mercedes' screams filled his ears. 

The last thing he saw was Felix and Sylvain rushing in, luckily able to protect the girls further after their spells did little to no damage. Ashe thinks he heard Ingrid yelling his name, but he'd probably been hallucinating at that point. Blood loss and all.

The first thing he sees when he wakes is Manuela.

"Oh, thank goodness. You're finally awake, dear." 

He blinks away the haze to see the woman standing over him. Staring is all he's capable of doing for now. Ashe feels too weak for anything else.

"Professor Manuela-"

"Hush for now. I'm going to ask you a few questions."

She checks for amnesia because he'd apparently nearly split his head open with a rock after he'd gotten stabbed. It explained the inexplicable pain throbbing at the back of his head and a part of him marvels at just how... durable he apparently was.

"Well, your mental state seems to be in check."

Ashe lets out a weak grin. "That's a relief."

"I'll call in your classmates now, if that's all right with you." Manuela smiles reassuringly. "They've been worried sick."

Ashe blinks. "Oh, sure. I'd love to see them."

With that, he is flooded by messages of relief and concern. Dimitri, Mercedes, and Annette are relentless in filling his ears with what is a mix of gentle chiding and fervent apologies. Sylvain makes light of things. Felix and Dedue don't say much, but the latter tells Ashe he did an admirable job fighting back and Felix actually nods in agreement so Ashe takes it.

Ingrid is oddly silent.

He fields everyone's comments as best as he can while unconsciously maintaining an eye on Ingrid. If he's being honest, Ashe is a little hurt. Here he was thinking they were good friends now, yet Ingrid has said nothing to him after he's woken up.

Maybe he'd overestimated their relationship.

Eventually, Manuela ushers everyone out, citing visiting hours and the Lions are keen to obey. They always are, Ashe thinks amusedly. As he waves goodbye to Dimitri, he doesn't know what to feel when Ingrid finally meets his eyes. He watches in mild curiosity as she says something to Manuela, causing the woman to eye them with a glint of... _something_ before making for the exit as well.

"Don't take too long now, dearies." Manuela winks as she shuts the door and, injured or not, Ashe cannot help how fast his face turns crimson.

Ingrid heaves a sigh as she meets his eyes for the first time in a week. Tired eyes are not uncommon for her, but Ashe has never been the receiver of these looks. 

"I was _so_ worried about, you know?"

Ashe looks down at his hands. "Well, invisible swordsmen," he gives her a sheepish look, "who could ever see them coming?"

Ingrid laughs and it's the most pleasant thing Ashe has heard in a very long while.

"Great logic as always."

She takes the seat next to his bed.

"How have you been?" He cannot help but ask.

Ingrid lets out an amused snort. " Of course the first thing you'd do after days of rest is to ask how _someone else_ is doing."

He grins wryly. "I mean it though. I'm curious."

Then they talk like they always do. About how the battle played out, how the invisible swordsmen turned visible, what he'd missed, a whole ton of other things Ashe warms at the mention of. Ingrid looks better as the conversation goes on. Tired eyes and gloomy countenance dissipating. Is that because of him? He hopes it is.

They don't notice Manuela's presence until the click of a door sounds.

"Hate to ruin this sweet little reunion, dear, but I'm afraid that's all the time I can give you today. I'm sure you lovebirds can catch up tomorrow."

Ashe reddens at this. Doesn't know why he's pleased that Ingrid's cheeks tinge pink too.

"We're not-"

"We aren't-"

Manuela's mouth forms a little o. "Oh, my apologies then," she says simply before grinning at them unapologetically.

Ashe and Ingrid do not meet eyes, but he does know that, suddenly, the girl is rummaging through her bag.

"Here," she finally says, handing him a book.

Ashe's eyes light up automatically. 

"Ingrid, thank you," he chirps happily, already running his hands across the cover.

"Don't mention it," she grins at his reaction, "I figured you'd need something to keep you busy since I'm sure Professor Manuela will need to keep you here for some time." She looks to Manuela for affirmation and the woman nods. "I'll bring you a new one as soon as you finish that."

He's a little floored by that. "Ingrid, I- thank you." There's really nothing more he can say. The prospect of new reading material always excited him, sure, but knowing she'd visit again? 

He'd wager that made him even happier.

Ingrid finally leaves after that, after they accidentally start talking about the book Ingrid lends him and Manuela's forced to physically push her out.

He falls asleep with the thing to his chest and feeling better than he's ever felt in days.

* * *

_"Do you need assistance?"_

_Troy blinks in disbelief. "Why would I need assistance with this?"_

_His friend looks at him with equal disbelief. "Why would you not? This is love we're talking about, my friend, you're going to need all the help you can get."_

* * *

Ingrid visits him every day until he is discharged, bringing with her pleasant conversation and, of course, more books. She comes after classes and stays until Manuela kicks her out.

He'd protested at first. Surely she had better things to do than stay by his bedside in her free time, but she'd shot that down quickly. Looking up from her homework with a smile that's impossible to say no to.

"I like spending time with you," she'd said with twinkling eyes and a light blush on her face.

So Ashe had dropped it. For the good of his heart mostly.

He almost dreads the day he finally has to leave the infirmary a week later, Manuela finally giving him the all clear. But that dread seeps away when Sylvain is the first person he sees outside the door.

"Ashe," the ginger-haired man greets with a wink.

"Oh, hello, Sylvain," he replies after a split second of processing. Of all the things he'd expected, having the company of Sylvain Jose Gautier wasn't one of them.

Sylvain folds his hands behind his head. "You're probably confused. Sorry, sorry, Ingrid couldn't make it. Dorothea dragged her off for 'girl things.' Her words, not mine."

Ashe's shoulders slump unconsciously. Sylvain notices.

"She wanted to be here though. Don't be so down. I'm good company too, you know," Sylvain amends, a knowing glint in his eyes.

Ashe blushes. He's become so transparent now. When it came to Ingrid, he was an open book. (No pun intended.) "I'm sure you are, now what-"

"I wanted to talk actually. Do you mind?"

Ashe blinks. Sylvain's demeanor is altered slightly with the words that escape him. He looks uncharacteristically... stern at the moment. He's not used to seeing him like this.

"Sure."

"Nice, let's walk and talk."

Sylvain takes holds of his shoulders and leads him towards the dorms. It's a bit of a walk from the infirmary so whatever Sylvain has to say, Ashe guesses it's not much.

"What is it that you wanted to talk about?"

Sylvain sounds like he's grinning. "You and Ingrid actually."

Ashe stumbles. Sylvain's hold on his shoulders is proven useful.

"Woah, there! Sorry, guess I should've warned you." Despite the words, Ashe gets the feeling he isn't very sorry.

"No, er- it's fine." What else is he supposed to say? "What about me and Ingrid?"

"Oh, Ashe, sweet, innocent, little Ashe. Are you going to keep playing dumb? You should know even she couldn't pretend for too long."

Ashe is confused. What was this about Ingrid and pretending? "I... honestly don't know what you're talking about, Sylvain. I'm sorry."

He’s spun around in an instant to meet Sylvain’s dumbfounded look. "You... really don't?"

Ashe shakes his head. Sylvain must see something in the look of his eyes because his widen in surprise.

"Oh goddess, you really don't."

Ashe cocks his head at him. "You said that, yes."

The man’s hands fly to his mouth. " _Poor Ingrid,"_ Sylvain says with exaggerated anguish.

"Wha-"

Sylvain’s grip on his shoulders tightens significantly. " _Ashe_." The graveness in his stare takes Ashe off guard.

"Yes?"

"Do you like Ingrid?"

Ashe is offended. "Of course I do, she's my friend, Sylv-“

" _No_."

The grip on his shoulders tightens further. Not enough to hurt him, but enough to emphasize a point which is what Ashe suspects is happening.

"Ashe, do you _like like_ Ingrid?"

" _Like like_? Wha-"

The realization hits him like a ton of bricks.

* * *

_"I- what?" Fiyero does a double take. Glinda stares at him disinterestedly._

_"You love her," she repeats._

_The prince blinks. "No, I don't."_

_"Yes, you do."_

_"No, I-"_

_A beat. He recalls all the times Elphaba's made his heart race. All the times she's made him smile, made him sad when she went off to the battlefield. All the times she’s yearned to hold her, to kiss her._

_"... Maybe I do."_

* * *

A lot of things suddenly make sense now that Sylvain's made him face the _reality_ of everything.

He blushes around Ingrid because he likes Ingrid. His heart warms at the sight of Ingrid because he likes Ingrid. Ingrid’s voice is his favorite sound because he likes Ingrid. He enjoys spending time with Ingrid because he likes-

He could go on forever honestly, but one thing is alarmingly obvious.

He _likes_ Ingrid. A lot. 

For someone so book-smart, he'd been surprisingly dense about it.

* * *

_He could do this._

_He was a prince for crying out loud and she, his knight. The difference in rank should be more than enough to ease his fea- no, that's not a good way of thinking. Nicola would kill him._

_... He's surprisingly not too opposed by the idea though._

_Charlie slaps himself. No, he was going to confess. Even if it killed him._

* * *

Stories have always had an influence on Ashe. It's very evident in his life. They're why he wants to become a knight after all and he almost always turned towards literature to help him solve problems. Books are his comfort, his inspiration.

So it only made sense that he'd turn to romance novels as he tried figuring out the best way to confess to Ingrid.

He's horrible at this, he decides because he'd tried to gather doves like one book had said and that had only resulted in a trip to the infirmary, him bleeding and covered in scratches. He'd failed at reason magic too which didn't work well with skywriting his confession like another book had stated. He couldn't write her a song, couldn't offer her some ancient item that proved his affections.

When all hope seemed lost, the perfect idea quite literally fell into his lap.

He's sitting in the courtyard, organizing his notes after the professor's archery lecture. He's vaguely aware of everything else happening around him. (He's going to be a knight. He's _supposed_ to be alert.) Felix and Sylvain are bickering near the classroom. Mercedes and Annette, practicing some wind spells on school supplies.

But vaguely aware means not _completely_ aware.

Which is why Ashe doesn't notice a notebook flying at him until it hits him square in the face.

Annette is yelling apologies at him as she rushes over and Ashe is sure he can hear Sylvain chuckling in the distance, but he's too focused on the notebook.

It's _blank_. The notebook is _blank._ Waiting to be written in. Waiting to be taken inspiration from.

Waiting for Ashe to fill it with his _own_ ideas.

He's running to his room in the next moment, telling Annette that it's okay and leaving all of his classmates confused. He's not concerned with that though. He has a plan to execute.

He has a story to write.

* * *

A month is the longest time he's ever gone without reading a book.

Ingrid is puzzled by the change, his classmates more so. They're not used to Ashe not having his head buried in a book, but he pays them no heed for the time being.

He needed that month to finish his confession after all.

"Why are we here again?" Ingrid asks as Ashe leads her to the Goddess Tower. (Because he's a romantic like that.)

"You'll see soon enough," he says bashfully, clutching a particular book with enough force that if it were a paperback, it would surely be crushed.

They finally enter the tower and Ashe leads her up the stairs, nervous energy coursing through his body. He'd put so much effort into this. So much, that he'd be sad- okay, most likely devastated should she not feel the same. Of course he'd still value their friendship, but he wouldn't be able to help feeling depressed. This would be the first time he'd be confessing after all. 

And, to repeat, he liked Ingrid. A lot.

So fingers crossed.

When they get to the top of the tower, he hears Ingrid gasp. Which is good since that means his decorating paid off.

"Ashe, did you do this?" She asks, voice tinged in wonder.

He hangs his head, feeling bashful. "Yes, do you like it?"

He'd hung some lights across the walls with Mercedes and Annette's help. (They wouldn't stop giggling about it and that really didn't help his nerves.) Dedue had helped him find the appropriate flowers to scatter around the room, even offering his help with cooking a meal (since you couldn't hope to woo Ingrid with no food, Sylvain had advised him.)

Ashe sees her eyes light up when her they land on the dishes on the table his highness and Felix (more the former and just grunts from the latter) had helped him carry up here. He laughs. Ingrid pouts and he thinks it's adorable.

"It's wonderful... and I'm not complaining, but what is all of this for?" She sounds very puzzled.

He walks ahead of her and pulls out her chair. "Take a seat and I'll finally be able to tell you."

Ingrid blinks before giving him a funny look and doing as she's told. 

Ashe takes the seat across from her.

"Will you finally tell me what that book's for too?" Ingrid's eyes are glued to the item in question.

Ashe nods his head sheepishly. "It's up to you actually."

Ingrid cocks her head at him. "Oh?"

"Food first or book first." He holds up the book. He knows what she'll choose. It's Ingrid-

"I'm curious about the book actually."

Ingrid laughs at the wide-eyed look that crosses his face. "It's just that you've seemed so busy lately. I'd like to know what's warranted your attention for so long."

"Oh." That made sense. _Oh_.

Oh goddess, it's happening earlier than he'd planned.

His grip on the book weakens. A month's worth of preparation all lead up to this moment. He couldn't chicken out now. Not after everything. No matter how this played out, Ashe will accept the result with his head held high and a positive outlook.

Ashe reaches out the book to her. He hadn't decorated it much. Just commissioned Ignatz artwork for the cover and Lorenz to write the title Ashe had settled on in neat calligraphy. He'd tried to do it himself, but numerous failures had convinced him it just wasn't his forte.

 _Feelings That Aren't Chivalry_ is what he'd settle on. Funnily enough. Felix had said the bit out of the blue as he argued with Sylvain while the man was trying to give him more advice. Ashe had chuckled. It would be perfect to break the tension and, in essence, that's what it was, wasn't it?

Everything he'd poured into the book. All his feelings. Some not very chivalrous and some not chivalrous at all. It was all there.

He hopes she'll like it. (He hopes she'll like _him._ )

Ingrid takes the book and, like Ashe had, chuckled at the title. Her eyes linger on the cover Ignatz had drawn so well. It is of a boy hunched over a desk, quill in hand as he dreamed about two knights, one that seemed to be him and another with blonde hair and a green ribbon tied to her lance. Her eyes light up in recognition. 

It's them.

Or what he hoped would become of them.

There is nothing Ashe can do but wait when she finally flips it open to start reading. It's not a thick book, not a thin one either. Something children nearing their teens would read. Something he'd ensure wouldn't take a more than a day to read. Or more than an hour for that matter. 

Maybe he hadn't thought this out well enough. Was he supposed to just sit here? Could he handle just sitting still while she read the product of all his feelings? Uncertainty creeps up on him like a sn-

Ingrid closes the book abruptly and the sight of her glistening eyes is the last thing he sees before she pulls him towards her.

 _Oh_ , he thinks, as he revels in the softness of her lips and her scent invading his senses. 

It seems Ingrid's finally found a romance book she fancied.

* * *

**INTRODUCTION**

_Ingrid,_

_To summarize the entirety of this book, I will tell you right away that this isn't like my usual recommendations. Besides the fact that this is written by me, I need to warn you that this isn't a tale of chivalry. There is no damsel in distress or a prophecy we must fulfill. No cursed antiques or dragons that need slaying._

_There is just you and me._

_Ingrid Brandl Galatea, I like you very much. So much that the mere mention of you brings a smile to my face. So much so that just the sight of your smile sends my heart in overdrive._

_This is just a glimpse of what you're going to read about in the rest of this book, I'm afraid. I guess I might have lied then when I said that it was just us._

_There is just you, me, and romance._

_Goddess, that sounded so... cheesy. I'm sorry Sylvain heavily insisted I include that line. Surely a bad omen of what's to come but I assure you the rest is 100% me._

_I know it doesn't suit your usual taste but this book drips with romance, admiration, wonder, fascination._

_All my feelings for you._

_I hope you like it as much as I like you._

_\- Ashe_

**Author's Note:**

> this might be the fluffiest thing i've ever written. i have no words. also eheheh all the book excerpt names are from musicals, props to anyone who catches them all. anyways @/myondusk on twitter created really nice art to accompany this fic!! y'all should check it out!! :DDD thanks for reading and as always kudos and comments appreciated uwu
> 
> [my twitter!](https://twitter.com/trixstarsss)


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